What We Once Were
by FourTrisTheImpenetrable
Summary: Percy must cope without her, for the Fates have cut her string. His Wise Girl, Annabeth Chase, has fallen to Elysium, and there she must stay for all eternity. He visits her an ample amount of times, but the living are highly disregarded in the Underworld. He's starting to lose hope without her, and he's willing to die. How can he live?
1. Prologue

**Ω Prologue Ω**

* * *

She gasped, a light, weary little sound. To Percy, it was like a clash of thunder that echoed for miles.

She coughed up a scarlet liquid, making sure to cover her blood-splattered shirt with her hand so her boyfriend wouldn't see. Percy held her half-dead body firmly; he wouldn't let her go, ever.

"Nothing," she coughed, "nothing could have been done, Percy."

"No, no-"

"You know it's damn true," she smiled faintly. "Look at us, fighting even on my deathbed."

One after another, tears trailed their way down his broken face. "Annabeth... You're not going to...?"

Her whole shirt was stained red. There was nothing that could have been done, that could _be _done. She was done for, she knew it. Heck, they both knew that. Percy wouldn't ackowledge it.

"Just promise me..." Her voice grew so soft it reminded Percy of snow. He leaned in to hear better. Annabeth took a breath, and continued slowly. "Promise me you'll move on..."

Her broken grey eyes were mad, pleading and sad, all rolled up into one. She stared only into his sparkling sea green eyes, the eyes she had fallen in love with; the eyes that belonged to the boy she had had many adventures with. The eyes that bore the Sky once.

His hands clenched her form gently, shaking as tears overwhelmed him. Annabeth had the urge to fall into the black film gathering at the corners of her eyes, but she restrained herself. She _had_ to talk to Percy, even if it _killed_ her.

"Promise me," she reiterated.

"Annabeth, I can't do that. You're my soul mate. W-we complete each other. I can't just..." His voice faded long before he could finish his sentence.

"I know," she breathed, closing her eyes. "But, please promise me. You can't go your whole life sad about my death. You have to live your life."

"But-"

"Live your life," she whispered, slipping her shaky hands into his. "For us."

"I-I will." He steadied himself.

Her form melted into his arms, like she was relieved. "Swear on the..." Her voice was barely a whisper now. She didn't have to finish the sentence, either. Percy knew what she would say. _Swear on the River Styx._

She wasn't coughing up blood; she wasn't shaking from the pain. She was being still, too still.

"Annabeth?" Percy grew frantic. "Annabeth?"

His hands were like two snakes; he couldn't control them. They finally found themselves as gently as they could set her down. A final soft, fragile sigh was given from her.

"Annabeth!" His hands were now grappling with her wrist, feeling for any meek sign of life. "Annabeth, come on! This isn't funny! _Annabeth_!"

No distant _tha-thump_ could be heard from her heart.

"_Apollo_!" He screamed at the sky in despair. "Apollo!"

The god of the sun didn't appear. But the sunlight around him and Annabeth grew brighter.

"Damn you, Apollo!" Hot tears trailed down his face. He wasn't begging for help anymore. He was yelling in pure agony now. He cursed every god and goddess he could think of, condemning them to the deepest pit of Tartarus, just touching the sea of Chaos.

He looked back down at his... _Dead_ girlfriend. Her normally blonde curly princess-styled hair was a shade paler. Her whole face was flushed, a peaceful expression upon her everlasting face. The blood dripping off of her chest had stained the grass a dark scarlet around them.

He withheld any more tears. The gods wanted this; they had probably even _planned_ her death, for all Percy had done.

He looked into her beautiful, closed eyes. "I swear on the River Styx, my Wise Girl. I'll live this life," he leaned in and kissed her cold mouth. "For us."


	2. Her Golden Curls

**Chapter Two: Her Golden Curls**

* * *

The dracaena advanced upon them, following their scent. It hissed and screamed something about murder. Percy didn't let that bother him, though. That dracaena was just another monster ready to be sent down to the eternal Tartarus.

Annabeth held up her dagger, narrowing her gray eyes at the sight. "You distract, I'll hit from behind?"

"Right," Percy replied, gripping his sword. He jumped out from the corner, throwing his sword like a javelin at the surprised monster to make more noise. He ran from the spot they had hid in, and yelling a battle cry, drew the dracaena's attention like a magnet.

"Can't hit me," he called, his voice echoing through the dark streets.

The dracaena hissed something indistinguishable, throwing its knife at Percy.

The son of Poseidon just barely dodged the lethal weapon as it stuck point blank to the wall behind him. He didn't mind; his only thought was to draw its attention the other way. "What was that?" he yelled mockingly. "Bad shot, aren't you?"

The dracaena hissed again, a gurgling noise at the back of its throat.

Percy kept running. His speed didn't lessen even a bit when the scene around him darkened. The path in front of Percy turned an obsidian kind of color, too solid. _Damn_.

The street had reached its end. _Why hadn't Percy known_? He mentally slapped himself in the face, turning around to face the monster.

The distance between Percy and the horrid monster shortened rather quickly as the dracaena advanced. Ten feet separated them...

_Now. It had to happen now._

To his surprise, nothing happened. _Where was Annabeth_?

Six feet...

_She'd come any second now; she had to. This was probably part of her plan._

Four feet... Percy's patience was worn thin and Annabeth wasn't appearing. Feeling Anaklusmos finally return to his pocket, he brought out his pen, and uncapped it. His sword, lighting up the night around him, swung at his target.

The dracaena backed off at the sight - a wise move.

Percy, taking advantage of the dracaena's second of confusion, drew ground as he swung repetitively at her. The only evidence left of a dracaena was a pile of golden dust.

He might have felt sorry for the monster, but he didn't. He never did. They would reform eventually; heroes didn't. This was different.

A clear, piercing sound lit up the air. This was a familiar scream, he knew it all too well.

_Annabeth_.

"Annabeth!" he yelled.

Percy awoke with a start. His hands were clammy with sweat and his blankets were twisted. He sighed, absently running a hand through his unkempt hair.

The first thing he noticed was the morning sun's perfect alignment with the window, making a meaningless pattern on the cabin's floor.

Percy stared at this for a moment. It reminded him of... _Annabeth_. The way her golden curls would shine during the setting sun. A small nostalgic smile was hinted, but it left as quickly as it came.

Annabeth... Was dead. He couldn't laugh about a cheesy joke with her. He couldn't count on her to plan the next Capture the Flag strategy, or for her to take the flank and kill the monster. She had passed on to the next life._ His Wise Girl was dead_, and he was alone.

_No_.

_How_?

_It wasn't possible; it just wasn't_.

_She was immortal. She couldn't... _Die.

"Percy!"

_His Wise Girl was dead_...

"Percy, come on! You'll be late!"

_He shouldn't live without her at his side_.

"Blue pancakes!"

_At the pavilion, he would be eating breakfast alone. Annabeth wouldn't be at the Athena table. He wasn't worthy of anything anymore_...

"Gods and Titans, Percy, come on!"

A dark figure burst into Cabin Three. It took only a second for Percy to recognize him - Grover.

"Mr. D will be mad if you stay a minute longer; come on," he warned Percy.

Maybe Mr. D had wished Annabeth dead, for all the things Percy had done. Maybe the whole Olympian council voted on his Wise Girl's death, to get back at him. But Poseidon and Athena wouldn't do that to him, _right_? They weren't that cruel... _Or were they_?

"Percy," Grover snapped his fingers, snapping Percy out of his desolate thoughts.

"Coming..." he muttered, slowly getting up off of his bunk. "Gimme a minute..."

Grover frowned. "I already gave you _five_ minutes. Come on; Mr. D will have a fit if you don't come."

Percy stood up, glancing down at his... Clothes. _Clothes_? It took a moment for the memories to rush in: after their said goodbyes to Annabeth, Percy had been so upset he had rushed to the beach in comfort. After that was a blur. But Percy remembered he had fallen asleep with his clothes from yesterday. _Meaning, he wore the same clothes he had worn when Annabeth was alive._

Beyond his clothes were Annabeth's curls, shining brightly on the floor. From where he stood, they looked more full, beautiful. He almost teared up at the sight... But, _no_. _Not in front of Grover._

Percy looked at Grover, who stared, surprised, at him. "What?" Percy asked.

"Nothing." Grover replied. "Nothing."

"Then let's go."

"R-right."

* * *

"Peter Johnson," Mr. D said, "shame you missed the party."

"_Mr. D_," Chiron cleared his throat, gesturing to Percy. "Percy, if you would, join us..."

Percy plumped himself down at a seat in front of the little net of the pingpong table, catching the silent eyes of the other cabin leaders, as Chiron wheeled himself in.

Percy couldn't help but notice that the Athena Cabin's leader was now Malcolm, as he sat directly across from Percy. Malcolm silently stared at the still net, and Percy knew exactly what he was thinking: _Annabeth_.

"We all know what happened yesterday," Chiron began in a mournful manner. "Our oldest camper, Annabeth Chase's, string has been cut by the Fates-"

Percy abruptly stood up, hinted tears in his broken sea green eyes. Every eye radiated toward him, but he didn't care; he didn't care one bit.

"_Don't_ remind me about her," Percy spoke the words with a steel edge. "I have enough to deal with."

With that, Percy left the Big House. He could hear the calls for him, the "Percy wait!" and the same old "Percy, come back!" Percy shifted from a walk to a full sprint, balling his fists. He had to get away from these people - as far away as possible.

He soon ran into the forest, leaping over fallen branches, rocks, and the sort. The wind whistled in his ears and the sunlight grew fainter as he ran deeper through the forest.

Percy's breaths soon grew labored and he slowed to a walk. _How peaceful it was here_...

_Like his Wise_-

Percy bumped into some force, automatically taking a few steps back to steady his balance. He rubbed his head, making the pain hurt less, "sorry I ruined your hom- _Nico_?"

The son of Hades nodded, a wild glint in his midnight eyes. "Percy, I have the solution to your problem."

Percy's sea green eyes widened. "Annabeth?"

Nico nodded once more in a sense of satisfaction. "Yes."


End file.
